Safmarine opens own Brazil offices

SAFMARINE IS to open three of its own offices in Brazil next February ending the long-standing agency representation by Mega Agencia. Key members of staff will transfer from Mega Agencia to Safmarine Brazil, as it opens up in Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre and Curitiba. Details of the management structure and office locations will be announced shortly. The new operation will service five Safmarine liner services to-and-from Brazil: Europe - East Coast South America; East Coast US - East Coast South America (“Tango” and “Rumba” services); Middle East - Indian Ocean Islands - Southern Africa - East Coast South America (“Samba” service); and Far East and South East Asia - East Coast South America. More trade lanes are currently under investigation. Anders Hedegaard Koksbang, Safmarine’s regional executive for Europe and the Americas, said: “Brazil is already an important market for Safmarine and will become more so. “We are motivated by a need for representation under our own name, a trend that we have manifested already in a growing number of regions.” This is part of a strategy described to FTW by Knud E Stubkjaer, partner in the A P Moller Group, c.e.o. of Maersk Sealand and chairman of Safmarine. “Throughout 2001 our aim has been centred on actions that will place Safmarine as the ‘carrier of choice’ for customers,” he said. “We have been able to expand in existing trade routes, add new trades to the service network, add new activities and extend the presence of Safmarine offices, now in more geographical locations than ever before. “We have significantly enhanced our IT (information technology) capabilities and information systems, and linked e-commerce facilities to support activities.”